2/13/2026

You used to be able to say “turn of the century” and it was mostly understood that you meant the switch from the 1800’s to the 1900’s. We have all either lived long enough, or at the right time, to see the little historical squishy zone where such a term can gain a little ambiguity. It makes me wonder if people in the 1920’s wrote poetically about the “turn of the century” literature they indulge in, meaning at the close of the 1700’s or start of the 1800’s, and some insipid acquaintance with no skills of inference or context was like, “What, like from 10 years ago?”

Fantomas is turn of the century literature, a book from the days of our grandfathers and great grandfathers. If you don’t read material from that little window of history, it might prove to be a frustrating book for you in 2026. Fantomas has another hurdle in that it is French, unapologetically and wonderfully so.

So how might one celebrate and revel in this alluring catalog of books without struggling through the hurdles of time and culture? You ease into it.

It is no different than becoming a fan of Sherlock Holmes, Superman, Bilbo, or even Moses. There is great value in digging into the original codex, but you need a translation. A paraphrase. A modern adaptation, something to set the table. Once you build some touchstones (let’s say by watching Lord of the Rings extended editions multiple times) you can go backwards to the “real deal” and relish what you find. Some of the names will be familiar. Some of the beats will be the same. But there will be surprises.

Such is Fantomas.

When I worked at a very large social media data center, there were these long welcome mats to walk over as you enter the giant rooms holding the servers. The mats were sticky, like double-sided tape, and packaged like a notepad. The idea was that once the dust and dirt from your shoes and the wheels of your carts had made the film ineffective, you’d peel off the top layer and a fresh sticky surface would be renewed. It was a clever and practical solution, so long as someone bothers to stoop and peel away the ineffective sheet.

There aren’t a lot of modern looks at Fantomas. There have been several wonderful new (English) translations which not only expand the number of Fantomas volumes we can read without knowing French, but update the language for a more modern reader. Alas, these aren’t new adaptations though, as their skeletons are still from 100 years ago.

There are movies, but they are either from the silent film era, lost to time, or from the more fab/mod/gonzo era of yesteryear. There are comics, a long running series from Mexico, but they fundamentally change Fantomas as a character into a macho thief/spy/vigilante with a trio of, for lack of a better comparison, Bond girls as assistants. They are fun comics, but they are not fully Fantomas (Note: there is a more recent graphic novel called The Wrath of Fantomas that is outstanding).

So I guess it is my turn to stoop to refresh the dust mat. I have started the process of doing two things to help usher Fantomas into the 21st century. One, I am working with the gang here at Midnight Circus to repackage some of the original (and conveniently now Public Domain) Fantomas novels and make them available and accessible. Two, I have started the process of writing a new Fantomas tale, one that drags him into our modern world. As I do research for these projects, I will share random Fantomas ephemera here in my blog, in between nonsense like record collecting and retro video games.

So is the book Fantomas by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre a good place to start your journey? Sure. But it may not be a GREAT place for a 2026 reader to start. I’d recommend The Wrath of Fantomas by Olivier Bouquet (illustrated by Julie Rocheleau), as it is a modern telling of the Fantomas myth. It serves as a thrilling “greatest hits” of what Fantomas is all about, and will whet your appetite for more villany and terror.

Secondly, I would suggest reading about Fantomas through the wonderful resources out there by readers and scholars who can share the high points and spare you the discomfort of tackling a century of context. Argos Barpha has written a concise and wonderful book called Fantomas: The Phantom Lord of Crime and the Birth of the Modern Villain. I cannot suggest a better place to start for someone curious what Fantomas is all about.

Then, of course, eventually… my own Fantomas novel. But that will be a while longer. Stay tuned.

1/30/2026

Are we blogging again? I mean as an online society? I have seen some chatter in various places alluding to the fact that there is a rising sentiment that social media and content videos are starting to feel too taxing, and that there is a nostalgia for the early internet, journal style blogosphere. 

I don’t buy it, personally. I think like with anything tabloid and populace, it will forever trend to the new for the masses (aka key demographics, aka where it matters). You can market dumb-phones and modern off-line standalone word processors / e-books, but the cats are out of their bags. 

There does seem to be some movement in more niche markets, however. Reddit is a good example of this, as all it does is replicate the message board era of internet conversation. For most of us, that era was dying by the time our parents or ourselves adopted the tech. Also the uptick in physical media obsession, such as vinyl, CDs, and DVDs, is encouraging. 

So maybe we are returning to the coziness of the before-times? Maybe the pushing back against streaming and short-form videos will pay off dividends for those of us still cranking out books and albums. Seems like it would be a great time to doubledown early and blog about my writing projects, perhaps even bolster some attention for the topics to come, right? Fantomas, More Than Rust, Midnight Circus, The Season of Fire…

Sure, and that will come, but mostly I want to talk about my rekindled interest in video games of a particular era. 

This rabbit chase started with picking up one of the brilliant Atari 7800+ systems, which is one of the greatest toys I have ever spent money on. I had wanted one since I first read of their release, but when the price dropped to a “now or never” I pulled the trigger. 

The 7800+ is an official home console that connects to modern televisions via HDMI and can play any of the existing 2600 and 7800 cartridges from the 1980’s. It can use old controllers even, if you are into that sort of thing. The best part? It has modern support for firmware updates and homebrew/indie programs. Atari is even publishing new cartridges again, slowly, with awareness of the niche demand. 

I never owned an Atari, but I sure played a lot of it as a kid. Video games captured my attention in a way nothing else in life would ever be able to again. They represented a nexus of all things that motivate me; technical tinkering, creativity, storytelling, and gaming. Much like Disney Adults appreciate the magic as well as the engineering of the theme park experience, I engage with pre-PlayStation video games in a way that is both academic as well as amusement. 

So over the course of the upcoming blog entries, you will see some video game related posts here, on this writing website. I don’t want to lock myself into an alternating format or anything, and it seems silly to bifurcate it into multiple blogs, so in advance, your patience for whichever topic interests you least is appreciated. 

With all of that being said, The Season of Fire has entered the final stretch. Artwork and layouts are perhaps the final actionable items before we can start talking a release date. More on this as it develops. 

That is to say, watch this space. And tell your friends you were there at the ground floor of the late 20’s blog revival.